It’s the time of the year where gardens are bustling with new vegetables and fruit — leaving many with an overwhelming abundance of produce and a running clock of how long it can stay fresh. Parker Learning Gardens, a nonprofit organic farm sprawling over 33 acres, is hosting a pickle and jam workshop on August 8 as part of their monthly workshop series. The workshop will teach participants how to make brine, water bath canning and jam, with a focus on seasonal produce like blackberries and plums. Since the farm is organic and doesn’t spray pesticides, the public can come to the farm to pick some berries day of and make jam.“We really want anyone to participate who can,” says Sarah “Redbud” Kelly, the program director at Parker Learning Gardens. The workshop is offered on a sliding scale, with a donation of $15 per adult and participants can choose to take home a jar of their creation for an additional fee. “We wanted to be doing this in community with others,” Kelly says, adding that she values “being able to experiment and try new things and be able to share skills we’ve taken a long time perfecting and honing ourselves, and being able to share that with others.” Kelly is excited for the new ideas for pickling that the community brings in, with one of the ideas being pickled grapes. “Im looking forward to hearing feedback on the different samples and we really love getting feedback about our different brine variations.”

Making Pickles & Jam Workshop is 10 am to 1pm on August 8 at Parker Learning Gardens, 31239 Lanes Turn Rd. Sliding scale, $15 suggested per adult.